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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARK SYSTEM OF WASHINGTON. 

Paper presented before the Seeond Pan American Scientific Congress, 
Washington, U. S. A., D«cember 27, l!ii:> January 8, 1916. 

By COL. WILLIAM W. HARTS, 

In charge Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, Washington, D. C. 

Washington has always held a unique place among the c apitals of the world. Con- 
ceived with pride in the minds of our early statesmen, designed with matchless ability 
by one of the foremost engineers of his period, constructed from time to time inaccord- 
ance with its destiny as foreseen by its founders, it holds to-day among America© 
cities a proud place for its beauty, its stateliness, and the high development of its- 
institutions. 

The well-known lofty aims of the country's first president are now being realized, 
for the city of Washington has the distinction of being the only large American city 
not firmly pledged to ugliness. Other cities may develop interesting spots, their 
civic centers may reflect credit separately upon their designers; but the entire city 
of Washington displays so much originality and excellence of design that it is held 
up as a model which other cities of this country may emulate, but none may excel. 

The early history of Washington is not only interesting of itself, with its sidelights 
of sectional jealousy and intrigue, but shows in a broad way the patriotism and 
foresight of those great men who were responsible for the formative period of this 
country's development. Many of the present conditions in Washington which seem 
haphazard have been the result of trying experiences which can be understood only 
from a knowledge of its early history. For example, Washington is owned practically 
outright by the United States Government. The Government owns the streets, it 
owns the parks and public reservations, it owns the sites on which stand the great 
public buildings of the Nation; and only those lots and tracts which were reserved 
to the original holders or which the United States has since sold are now in private 
ownership. In no other American city does this condition exist. 

The necessity for such an ownership was first made apparent at Philadelphia in 
1783, when an armed mob of mutinous soldiers of the Revolution marched in a body 
to that city, demanding their long-overdue pay and threatened Congress while that 
body was in session there. The city authorities were either unable or unwilling to 
curb this affront, so that it was then determined that the policing, guarding, and control 
of its own capital should forever be retained in the hands of the Government. We 
thus find to-day that the Government carefully guarded its rights in its capital and 
that at the same time the expansion and beautification of the city became matters 
of pride and satisfaction under its direction. From that day to this no powers have 
been delegated by Congress unless thoroughly safeguarded, and even the usual right 
of suffrage is denied the residents of the city in order that its control may never be 
disputed. 

There is not time in this paper to detail even briefly the struggles of the different 
sections of the country, which constituted at that time merely a fringe of States 
along the Atlantic Ocean, to secure, each for its own neighborhood, the location of the 
future capital. The bitterness and distrust with which Massachusetts Bay Colonies 
and those on the north viewed the eff orts in this direction made by Virginia and the 

10327e-6— 17 



2 PROCEEDINGS SECOND PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 

other southern colonies was matched only by the bitterness and distrust evinced by 
these southern States for their northern sisters. It is sufficient to say that the contest 
resolved itself finally into a struggle between these two sections, one favoring a site 
near the head of navigation on the Delaware or Susquehanna Rivers, and the other 
favoring a site near the head of navigation on the Potomac. General Washington, who 
was then President, favored the latter site, and in 1790 Congress authorized finally the 
location of the capital on the Potomac River. 

In the same year by an act of Congress a board of three commissioners was appointed, 
consisting of Mr. Daniel Carroll, Dr. David Stuart, and Mr. Thomas Johnston, who 
were authorized to acquire the land on which the present city is located. This first 
commission organized the office of public buildings and grounds, which has been 
continued uninterruptedly down to the present and is one of the oldest Federal 
offices in the city of Washington. 

The exact location of the site on the Potomac was left to the decision of President 
Washington, who examined the river from the vicinity of Hagerstown downstream 
to Georgetown, and four months after the bill for the location of the National Capital 
became a law he entered upon its execution. Two principal sites were selected by 
Washington for his examination, one near the mouth of the Monocacy, and the other 
near Georgetown. In January, 1791, his decision that the latter site had been selected 
was published, and arrangements were made at once for the purchase of the land and 
the preparation of a design. Mr Andrew Ellicott was employed to make a survey 
of the land, and Maj. Charles L'Enfant was selected to prepare a plan for the new 
city. The site was owned by 19 farmers, from whom the land for the future city 
was purchased by the commissioners, who paid for it but 25 pounds or about $67 per 
acre. An area of about 1^ miles in length by 3^ miles in breadth was thus obtained. 

The terms of the purchase were unusual. In view of the great benefit to the owners, 
they agreed to donate to the United States all of the land required for streets and alleys. 
Parks, reservations, and sites for public buildings were to be paid for at the rate of 
25 pounds per acre. They agreed to donate also one-half of all the remaining land 
for building lots, retaining for themselves only the other one-half of these lots. The 
lots given to the Government were to be sold whenever such course seemed most 
advisable, the proceeds of the sales of these lots by the United States were to be 
applied to defraying the cost of the construction of public buildings, the first two 
of which were to be the President's House and the Capitol, known in that day as 
Congress House. The proceeds were to provide later for roads, lights, and other public 
work. 

The sale of lots began at auction in 1793, but notwithstanding these favorable 
conditions they did not produce sufficient funds to pay for the construction of the 
proposed buildings and to meet other expenses in connection with the city. Building 
was therefore slow and it was not until 1800, or seven years later, that Congress was 
able to move to Washington and take up its duties there. The city was still in em- 
bryo, although started on most promising lines. ' 

The plan of the city was original. From statements left by Maj. L'Enfant it appears 
that the highest eminence, known at Jenkins's Hill, was selected first as the site for 
the Capitol, and that another eminence near the mouth of Tyber Creek was selected 
next as the site for the President's House. The diagonal road connecting these two 
buildings, since known as Pennsylvania Avenue, was extended eastward to a bridge 
over the Eastern Branch, now known as the Anacostia River, and was also extended 
westward into Georgetown by a bridge over Rock Creek. Maj. L'Enfant proposed 
in his plan a system of north-and-south and east-and-west streets, designating the 
north -and-south streets by numbers and the east-and-west streets by letters. His 
diagonal street system, so original and suitable, took shape in a measure from the 
original roads. Maryland Avenue was laid out as an extension of the Bladensburg 
Road, furnishing the second main original diagonal thoroughfare. Pennsylvania 



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ENGINEERING. 3 

Avenue and Maryland Avenue thus established lines of direction for other parallel 
and symmetrically placed avenues. The system of centers with radiating streets 
was thus developed, giving us the many present-day diagonal avenues which make 
the city so unusual in its artistic development. At the intersections of the streets 
and avenues there were placed the smaller parks and circles which form a distinguish- 
ing feature of the city. 

L 'Enfant desired, in addition, larger areas for more spacious parks elsewhere, and 
laid out on his plan what was undoubtedly the most pretentious scheme of park devel- 
opment of his day. Of this scheme the Mall plan was the most important feature. 
It provided a wide parkway extending directly westward from the Capitol, the purpose 
being to provide for diplomats and other representatives sent to the United States 
from foreign countries suitable residences facing on both sides a park of unusual 
beauty. He also selected a site for a national university, and even proposed the con-» 
struction of public institutions of several kinds at places where they would harmonize 
with his general plan. 

The city, as laid out by Maj. L 'Enfant, was to provide ultimately for a population 
of about 800,000 people, the nucleus of which lay between Rock Creek, Florida 
Avenue, and the Anacostia River, with ample room for expansion northward. The 
plan proposed by him was a novel one, no city elsewhere in the world having been 
constructed at that time with diagonal streets radiating from many centers. The 
plan of Sir Christopher Wrenn, proposed in 1666 for rebuilding a burned section of 
London by using a circular center and radiating concentric streets, and a somewhat 
similar plan in the laying out of the city of Annapolis may have both influenced 
Maj. L 'Enfant in his work, for we know that Mr. Jefferson, while Secretary of State, 
supplied him with many maps of prominent cities, mostly in Europe. 

Notwithstanding the excellence of this design, many efforts have been made to 
disturb the harmony so wisely planned. Robert Morris attempted soon after the city 
streets were laid out to construct a house projecting into one of the avenues, and the 
offending portion was torn down by Maj. L 'Enfant after an angry controversy of much 
bitterness. 

Many years later the beautiful vistas proposed by L 'Enfant, looking toward the 
White House and the Capitol, were destroyed by the improper location of a number 
of public buildings, among which the principal ones are the Congressional Library, 
the Treasury Building, and the State, War, and Navy Building. It is unfortunate 
that more suitable locations were not selected for these structures, for the mistake 
appears even more conspicuous to-day than before the development of the city; 
and it will continue to vex all who appreciate the beauty of the original design. The 
reason for these mistakes probably lies in the fact that for many years the plans of the 
city, prepared with so much careful foresight and established with so much difficulty, 
were regarded with scant recognition of their merit. Even within recent years build- 
ings of extreme height, such as the Cairo and other apartment houses and structures 
encroaching upon the park areas, such as the old Pennsylvania Railroad station, were 
permitted without much restraint. 

This condition continued to a greater or less degree until the sudden awakening of 
the American people to the necessity for securing a higher degree of civic beauty, 
brought about very largely by the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. 
At this time the highly artistic design and arrangement of the buildings at this exposi- 
tion stimulated new ambitions in the minds of all those who were delighted with the 
wonderful surprise of this exposition. 

The first American city to feel the impulse of this awakening was Washington. 
Senator James McMillan was primarily influential in having called together in 1901 
a group of experts, among whom were some of the most eminent architects and artists 
of the country. Mr. D. H. Burnham, Mr. Charles F. McKim, Mr. Augustus St. 
Gaudens, and Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted composed this commission. They visited 



4 PROCEEDINGS SECOND PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 

various cities in Europe, and later prepared as a result of their studies the famous 
plan for the expansion and beautification of Washington, which is now acknowledged 
generally to be one of the most comprehensive plans for civic beauty in the world . 
This plan recognizes the great merit of L 'Enfant 's Mall scheme, but elaborates and 
expands it to meet the later conditions. It also includes an extension of the park 
system over the newer part of the city, which was not included in the original design, 
so that when the natural growth takes place the newer areas will be as well provided 
with recreation parks as the old . 

The central feature of this new plan may be outlined generally as providing for a 
broad Mall extending from the Capitol westward, including the Washington Monument, 
to the great memorial to President Lincoln on the bank of the Potomac River. Cross- 
ing this line, which forms its major axis, we have a shorter axis extending at right 
angles north and south through the Washington Monument Grounds with the White 
House at the northern end, and a proposed group of buildings at the other, dedicated 
to the memory of the nation's founders. This Mall thus becomes a large diamond, 
shaped park extending through the heart of the city from the Capitol to the river, 
providing sites in great number for large public buildings and giving opportunity 
for an artistic arrangement of trees and roads, and a park development of great dignity 
and beauty. This Mall scheme will ultimately embrace within its limits nearly all 
of the great departmental administrative buildings, the Capitol, and the White House, 
and will provide sites for many semipublic buildings for art and science, for armories 
and convention halls. 

The second essential feature of this commission's plan is a chain of parks connected 
by boulevards extending from the river through Rock Creek Valley to Rock Creek 
Park, thence to the Soldiers' Home, through the grounds of the Reform School, thence 
to the Anacostia River, where a large aquatic park is' to be created by filling in the 
swampy flats, now insanitary and useless, with material dredged from the river chan- 
nels. Outside of this chain of parks is to be another similar boulevard connecting 
the Civil War forts, which it is expected will thus become a part of the park system 
of the District. 

Great advance has already been made under the project proposed. Along the 
Mall new buildings for the offices of the Senate and the offices of the House of Repre- 
sentatives, the new National Museum, the buildings of the Agricultural Department, 
the recently completed building of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Pan 
American Building, the Continental Memorial Hall of the D. A. R., and the build- 
ing for the American Red Cross have all been located with a view to their adding to 
the ultimate scheme. The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most important of these 
and marks the western end of the longer axis of the Mall. 

Rock Creek Park was acquired in 1892. This is a park of naturalistic design 
comprising over 1,600 acres. Zoological Park adjoining it on the south, embracing 
170 acres, was acquired in 1890. Montrose and Meridian Hill Parks were bought in 
1911, and the clearing and opening of the area lying between the Capitol and the 
Union Station is now in progress. 

The water front of Washington, formerly marshes and mud flats, has been filled in 
with material dredged from the river, and the new proposed area completed and 
partly developed. The construction of East Potomac Park by reclaiming from the 
river an area of 327 acres, has just been finished, ready for development as a large 
athletic recreation field. Plans are now being prepared for the enlargement of Rock 
Creek Valley with a view to its transformation into a highly developed parkway 
connecting Potomac Park on the river front and Rock Creek Park in the interior. 
On the lower Anacostia River large areas have been reclaimed already by the filling, 
and work here is still in progress with a magnificent river park in view on that side 
of the city. 



ENGINEERING. 5 

Never before has the Government undertaken so many extensive plans for the 
beautification of its Capital. These are being carried out entirely from its own 
income, no bonds for future payment being issued. The following list shows the 
areas now in parks: 

Table A. — Areas of parks and various reservations in the city of Washington and imme- 
diate vicinity. 

Acres. 

Rock Creek Park, under board of control 1, 605. 9 

Zoological Park, under Smithsonian Institution 170. 

Grounds about the Department of Agriculture, under control of that depart- 
ment 35. 7 

Botanic Garden, under Joint Committee on the Library of Congress 11. 3 

Capitol Grounds, under superintendent of the Capitol Building and Grounds. 59. 7 
Library of Congress Grounds, under superintendent of Library Building 

and Grounds 11. 1 

McMillan Park, xinder Chief of Engineers, United States Army 118. 

Naval Observatory grounds, under Navy Department 89. 8 

Naval Hospital grounds, under Navy Department 16. 9 

Soldiers' Home Grounds, under War Department 502. 

Washington Barracks reservation, under War Department 62. 

Park system of the District of Columbia, under the jurisdiction and control 
of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army (approximately 955 acres 

are included in the Mall section of the city under this jurisdiction) 1 1, 189. 12 

3, 871. 52 

The list above does not include Arlington Cemetery, Fort Myer, the Government 
Hospital for the Insane, and a number of other public or semipublic reservations to 
which the public has access, but which were not primarily intended as parks. 

Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington, 487 acres. 

Arlington National Cemetery, including Fort Myer reservation, 1,363.14 (cemetery 
proper 408.33 acres, while outlying portions which are occupied and used by the 
Department of Agriculture amount to 637.67 acres, and Fort Myer at 317.14 acres). 

Table B. — Detailed statement of areas of parks and reservations under the jurisdiction 

of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds. 

Acres. 

Grounds south of Executive Mansion 70 

Judiciary Park 19 

Mount Vernon Park 2 

Franklin Park. 4 

Lafayette Park 6 

McPherson Park 1 

Farragut Park 1 

Rawlins Park 1 

Washington Circle 1 

Sheridan Circle 

Dupont Circle 2 

Scott Circle 

Iowa Circle 2 

Grant Circle 1 

Meridian Hill Park 11 

Montrose Park 15 

i This park system is under the administration of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds. For 
areas of the several parks, see table below. 



6 PROCEEDINGS SECOND PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 

Acres. 

Lincoln Park 7 

Stanton Park , 4 

Folger Park 1 

Garfield Park 9 

Marion Park 1 

Loomis Park 2 

Smithsonian Grounds 58 

Henry Park. 18 

Seaton Park 19 

Potomac Park 723f 

Monument Grouiids 108 

27 named parks (above) containing 1, 099. 07 

385 small reservations containing 90. 05 

. Total, 392 parks and park places, containing 1, 189. 12 

For many years the supervision of Government areas had been under a commis- 
sioner of public buildings and grounds, but in 1867 all reservations which were in the 
possession of the Federal Government were turned over to the Chief of Engineers of 
the United States Army for care and supervision. In hie hands were placed the 
appropriations for maintenance and improvement, and an officer in charge of public 
buildings and grounds, under his direction, was appointed to carry on this work. In 
1898 Congress separated more definitely the jurisdiction of the municipal authorities 
and of the Chief of Engineers, assigning to the former the streets and the parkings 
along the streets, and to the latter all parks, reservations, triangles, and circles. It 
was, therefore, not until this latter date, that the park system as such, had a definite 
existence separate from any control by the city. 

The reason for such a separation seems to have been a peculiar one. It occurred 
within the shadow of our great Civil War. In order to have full control of all circles, 
parks, and reservations, should these areas be required for military purposes, Con- 
gress preferred apparently to retain jurisdiction over them for the United States Gov- 
ernment, rather than permit any municipal supervision that might conflict with the 
Government's needs. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that the separation of 
the park system from all municipal direction first arose soon after the close of the 
Civil War, when the remembrance of the military requirements of the United States 
was still a dominant influence in the administration of public affairs. 

Notwithstanding this reason, if there were not a more logical justification for such 
a separation of jurisdiction, it is probable that the park system of the District would 
have been returned long ago to the control of the municipal authorities. On the con- 
trary, not a single park has ever been placed by Congress since that time under the 
exclusive charge of the municipal authorities for park purposes. It is well known 
that the point of view of the city authorities has been often at variance with the estab- 
lished plans for the beautification of Washington, so that this separation of functions 
has been found expedient for other reasons and probably will be retained always for 
the greater protection of the parks and for their closer supervision. 

Furthermore, the protection of park property was for many years a duty of the 
municipal police, but, inasmuch as the main object of the municipal police is the 
detection and prevention of crime, protection of park property was often considered 
beneath the dignity of a policeman, and was so neglected that it was found necessary 
to establish a force of watchmen who would be constantly on the alert to prevent 
trespass and other encroachment on the public grounds. This force of watchmen was 
later organized as a distinct body, was clothed by Congress still later with police 
powers, and is now uniformed and mounted on bicycles at Government expense. 
Thus we find that necessity forced upon the administration of the parks the organiza- 



ENGINEERING. 7 

tion of the present park police force separate from the Metropolitan force of the city. 
This necessity not only still exists, and probably always will, but it has been found 
equally necessary in nearly all the larger cities of the country. 

We observe, therefore, that a separate park organization independent of municipal 
control, and an independent park police force grew out of the necessities of Washing- 
ton long before their establishment in other American cities. Although many other 
cities have followed Washington's lead in such matters, this separation is not in effect 
in Central Park in New York City, this park still being controlled by the municipal 
government. Those familiar with the struggles of the people of New York since 1854 
to avoid encroachment upon the area of this great park for various incongruous pur- 
poses will readily understand the desirability of separating the park organization 
from municipal control. Scarcely a half-dozen years passed by in the history of this 
park that there was not some serious attempt made by the city government to author- 
ize construction within the park area of buildings of a character far removed from 
park purposes. A hotel was once proposed and authorized, booths for the sale of 
various articles were at one time suggested, and it was only by public meetings of 
protest and other vigorous expressions of disapproval, in the newspapers and elsewhere, 
that many of these encroachments were finally prevented. Even as it is, we find a 
speedway, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and some other structures which have 
restricted the use of this remarkable piece of public property and prevented its utili- 
zation for the large public purposes to which it was originally dedicated. 

In consequence of these experiences, we find that Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, 
St. Louis, and many other large cities, following the example of Washington, have 
removed their park systems and their park police to a greater or less degree, from 
municipal supervision. Progress in civic affairs seems, therefore, to indicate that an 
organization more or less completely separated from municipal control is the wise 
and expedient course for American cities to follow. 

'not sufficient that such separation alone should be followed. All public areas 
having the character of parks should be under one management. This seems logical 
and reasonable, but we find in Washington numerous areas of this character under 
many different jurisdictions, an unfortunate and uneconomical arrangement. These 
areas as they were acquired were assigned to various bureaus, in most cases before the 
definite establishment of the park system of the District of Columbia. Their subse- 
quent inclusion within this park system has never been authorized by Congress, 
although many recommendations to this effect have been made, notably by Mr. Taft 
while President of the United States, and by several Chiefs of Engineers of the United 
States Army. It is expected, however, that these areas will gradually be included 
within the park system in the future. The lack of economy in administering under 
different jurisdictions so may similar activities, with the consequent multiplication 
of overhead charges, should seem apparent to the most casual observer. But customs 
of this sort are hard to change. It is only the new parks as they are acquired which 
are placed by law imder the legal protection of the park system with its many 
advantages. . 

- Funds for parks are raised in different ways in various cities, some authorizing a 
certain amount to be expended annually from the public levies, others authorizing a 
special tax to be added for park purposes, and still others using special funds secured 
by law from street railway companies or other public -service corporations. In Wash- 
ington all appropriations are made by Congress, one-half being paid usually from the 
income of the Federal Government and one-half from taxes on property in the District 
of Columbia. An analysis of the appropriations for improvement and maintenance 
of Washington parks for the past five years is as follows. 



8 



PROCEEDINGS SECOND PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 



Table C. — Statement showing application of appropriations for parks and reservations 
under the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds for the 5 years from July 1 1911 to 
June 30, 1916. 



Years. 


Over- 
head 
(office) 
expenses. 


Park 
protec- 
tion 
(police). 


Park 
mainte- 
nance. 


Park 
improve- 
ment. 


Total. 


1912 


$19,240 
19,240 
19,240 
19,240 
19,240 


534,450 
33,850 
38,650 
38,650 
39,250 


$164,670 
161,370 
164,870 
171,370 
191,370 


$40, 500 
72,500 
99,500 

117,000 
75,500 


$258,860 
286,960 
322,260 
346,260 
325,360 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 




Total for 5 years 


96,200 


184,850 


853,650 


405,000 


1,539,700 






19,240 


36,970 


170,730 


81,000 


307,940 





The overhead charges cover clerical, engineering, and landscape gardeners' services. 

These appropriations are made by Congress on estimates prepared by the officer 
in charge of public buildings and grounds, submitted to the Chief of Engineers, and 
by him added to the War Department budget. 

The purchase of new areas, if of considerable size, is usually conducted by commis- 
sions specially authorized to acquire them by condemnation or otherwise, the limits 
of area and cost being fixed by the statutes authorizing the acquisition. Rock Creek 
Park was purchased in this manner. A commission is now preparing for submission 
to Congress plans of a project for the acquisition of the land along Rock Creek Valley 
for a new parkway connecting Potomac Park with Rock Creek Park. 

Condemnation proceedings are conducted by the Department of Justice, and when 
the acquisition is completed the area is turned over to the Chief of Engineers for care 
under the general laws protecting the park system. 

The organization under which the parks are cared for and maintained consists of 
the officer in charge of public buildings and grounds, who is an officer of the Corps of 
Engineers of the United States Army, under the direct supervision of the Chief of 
Engineers. Under the officer in charge are the following heads of park departments: 
(1) Superintendent of parks; (2) head gardener; and (3) superintendent of park police. 

Under the superintendent of parks there are, first, a division of design with a land- 
scape architect and several drafting assistants; and, second, a division of mainte- 
nance, covering four sections of the city, with a foreman at the head of each section. 
Under each section foreman there are several parties of workmen attending various 
parks, making beds, planting flowers, shrubs and trees, sweeping walks, taking up 
litter, cultivating flowers and bushes, trimming trees, cutting lawns, raking leaves, 
etc. Responsibility for neglect in any quarter is easily traceable and the neglect 
promptly corrected . A careful system of cost keeping by months enables a comparison 
to be made between the several sections, and affords a sure means of detecting ineffi- 
ciency or extravagance. 

The head gardener, who is the superintendent of the propagating gardens, super- 
vises all planting in the public grounds, the construction of planting beds, and the 
propagation of flower and foliage plants for the parks. He has about 40 assistants and 
propagates annually about three-quarters of a million plants for the embellishment of 
the park flower beds. He also assists in the inspection of new material as it arrives, 
and has general supervision of the rotation of flower planting and the selection of plants 
for this purpose. There are 17 greenhouses under his direction, from some of which 
cut flowers are furnished for the White House. 

In the city parks under other jurisdictions various methods of administration are in 
use. In Rock Creek Park, embracing 1,605.9 acres, which is the largest park in the 
city of Washington, the authority of supervision and control is vested in a commission 
consisting of two branches, the Chief of Engineers, on the one hand, and the District 



ENGINEERING. 9 

Commissioners on the other, with equal authority. The executive officer of the Com- 
mission is the Engineer Commissioner of the District. 

The Zoological Park, containing 167 acres, is under the control of the Smithsonian 
Institution. The Botanic Garden, at the head of the Mall, is under the control of the 
Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. The grounds in which the buildings of 
the Department of Agriculture stand, which form an integral part of the Mall system, 
are under the control of the Department of Agriculture. The grounds around the 
Capitol, about 58 acres in extent, are laid out and used as a park and are under the 
control of the Superintendent of the Capitol. McMillan Park, containing 118 acres, 
the site of the nitration plant for the water system of the city of Washington, is under 
the control of the United States Engineer Officer in charge of the Washington Aque- 
duct. The grounds about the Naval Observatory, amounting to 79 acres, and those 
around the Naval Hospital, containing 17 acres, are both under the Navy Depart- 
ment. The Soldiers' Home Grounds, covering an area of 502 acres, and the grounds 
about the Washington Barracks and the War College, containing about 70 acres, are 
under the War Department. In brief, we may assume that the park area of the Dis- 
trict of Columbia comprises in all some 3,700 acres, under 12 different controlling 
authorities. 

Large sums of money are expended annually in beautifying these public grounds, 
all of which are similar in character, and in which the planting and caring for lawns, 
flowers, shrubs, etc., require the same kind of supervision and labor. The lack of 
economy in having so many different organizations is obvious. 

~~~ Even more objectionable is the lack of harmony in many of the structures hereto- 
fore erected under the various jurisdictions, which, if continued, would result in a 
heterogeneous improvement lacking coordination and unity. This condition is 
fortunately obviated to a great degree by the functions of the National Commission 
of Fine Arts. All proposed improvements affecting in any important way the appear- 
ance of the city must be submitted to this commission for its comment and advice. 
The commission is composed of the most eminent experts in their respective profes- 
sions that the country affords. It consists of three architects, a sculptor, a painter, a 
landscape architect, and a lay member experienced in civics. These men serve with- 
out compensation other than the patriotic satisfaction of seeing that the development 
of the Nation's capital in its parks, statues, fountains, and public buildings is directed 
along artistic lines. This body has justified many times its organization and the wis- 
dom of those who were responsible for its creation. Crude and inartistic designs have 
been wisely excluded and the conformity of public improvements to the Park Com- 
mission plans has been aided immeasurably by their patient and profitable advice. 
The commission is intended to be permanent, under regulations prescribed by the 
President, who appoints its members. Under an arrangement which has the approval 
of the President, one or two vacancies occur each year, which are filled with new men, 
in order that the policy of the commission may be continuous and not subject to sud- 
den change. In this way new ideas may be introduced under the most favorable 
circumstances, and a broad-minded and progressive course of action assured. 

In conclusion, it may be said that in spite of the differences of jurisdiction and of 
occasional deviations from the approved plans, there is no city in the world in which 
park development is advancing on more consistent and systematic lines than in 
Washington; none for which plans are more magnificent and promising; and none in 
which these plans are adhered to with greater success than in the capital of the United 
States. 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1917 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



000 883 867 7 



